Noam Chomsky on the role of sports in propaganda-based authority

[MisterKauffman]

Interesting stuff, and I agree above all with Chomsky that a population whose minds have been collectively dulled is ideal for controllers, but I think he makes a large assumption here.

That is, I doubt NFL, the tabloids, and what have you, actually care about distracting us. After all, they're not state-owned. They're businesses that want to sell football tickets and magazines. If they are distracting us, a la "bread and circus", then I think it's incidental; we distract ourselves.

[praxlor]

@rufus001 - hulu(dot)com/watch/118171/manu­facturing-consent - This should be shown in elementary school along side with our selective history books. -replace (dot) with a period.

[RellenMcDee]

I worry about things that matter and I still enjoy football.

That Chomsky cannot see that they have value is of no importance.

[beerandbanjo]

Case in point: Tim Tebow announces he may run for political office and BAM, suddenly people who know nothing about what's going on are piping up to say they would vote for him.

[RichardFeynmanRules]

Noam! Brilliant, as always. Yes, humans love to play, love what's sports are about at their best -- he *gets* this, of course -- but all of this has been so co-opted by big power structures and moneyed self-interest. The ancient Roman power elite knew this too -- bread and circuses. I think everyone, right or left, should Read "Manufacturing Consent." There common ground for all of us, the 99%, if we have eyes to see.

[TheBroadribb]

If you sit down watch a basic news channel, 1/5 0r 1/3 of it is to do with sports. All he was saying is that it deceives people from the important issues of the world. Not once did he say sports is the worst thing man created or sport is this evil thing that makes people turn into testosterone monsters. Haters...

[research1982]

So funny



[KrugmanTheKing]

Panem et Circenses

Bread and Games, said the Roman Emperor. Well, how does the maxim holds in our times?

[henkvanderlaak]

Chomksy Ltd, providing wakeup services since 1928.

Too bad most people just keep pressing the snooze button.

[MrAzdaz]

Immersion in sports castrates male revolutionary energy and quells social and political dissent..

[psychopathogen]

the audience laughed really hard. clearly an audience full of mega nerds.

[Dtchmastrkilla7]

@psychopathogen Well, not necessarily.

[MyceliaProductions42]

@psychopathogen Yes, in other words, people who think and analyze that around us which many thick-headed people clearly are too dim-witted to even fathom, much less question.

Yes...awesome mega nerds indeed. :)

[MyceliaProductions42]

But one can be into both, no doubt. That's the mark of a well-rounded person.

[owenhunt]

He's talking about the hype built up around sports. The amount of misinterpretation in this comments section is surprising.

[BobDeegstheGreat]

Sports is important for the money it makes for certain people, but not as a tool for making people submissive. I like sports, especially football, but I keep up with current events and do not endorse American imperialism, greed, and unregulated capitalism. Don't be prejudiced Chomsky against people who just enjoy watching sports.

[thankyouspicychili]

"...its training in Irrational jingoism." too true.

[MrFastlane911]

This is stupid... This is why I never liked philosophers all they do is talk about what they think is going on, JUST TO SAY SOMETHING, sports is sports don't over analyze things sports have been played for centuries and the idea is not for "submission to authority". For instance sports have been played in America by native American people before Europeans even showed up. And Europeans would play themselves...

[1Delu]

@MrFastlane911

This is not stupid. I think you don't recognize how much mess up is coming in the name of sport. Personally, i appreciate people who do the sport, but , so sick of the so called fans...just trivial shit. Who the fuck cares whether a French guy score a goal or not ...What is Manchester for a Mexican pries? This sport hype is a huge delusion.

[MrFastlane911]

@1Delu Who are you to judge what people should like or not? That's the beauty of it because everyone is an individual and has their own idea of "fun". Some people would rather pick up a guitar whereas others would rather watch the concert. Same thing goes for sports... go figure. However it all comes down to just being an entertainment... As for mess, it will come from anything, because those who want to start trouble will use any excuse to validate their actions.

[govlover]

Take away my freedom, my rights, my mind and all that I toil for... but don't you dare take away my ESPN! ( jk )

[Raindogs111]

The team representing my local area is far superior to the team representing your local region.

[milascave2]

@Raindogs111 Even though it's composed of atletes from other local regions, and can be sold at any time to yet another region. In other words, teams are just expensive comodities.

[shade1978x]

@Raindogs111 I WISH someone would hold up a sign in the stands at the Super Bowl that says that. lol

[xjtbarnesx]

I realize this is from Manufacturing Consent, but where might I find the original lecture?

[TheDreamMechanic]

Chomsky hits the nail on the head yet again. This resonates with me personally, and is attested to by my own personal experience. I went to college with the expressed idea of getting into player personnel management for an NFL team and/or coaching, and it didn't take long to realize that, having gotten out of the house, looking at the world, and thinking independently, sports is an overhyped distraction of the masses. It has value, sure...but undeserving of such thunderous applause.

[fichbar]

I don't think its training in irrational jingoism.

I think Chomsky is reading to much into this. The fact is that most people pay more attention to sports than politics, or the issues of the day, because they find sports more entertaining.

[TheDreamMechanic]

@fichbar

Entertaining is one thing. Fanaticism: a whole other ball of wax.

This is the inevitable bi-product - and tell-tale sign - of propaganda at work. Really now. Should people really be fanatical about a bunch of guys throwing a ball around? It can be entertaining, sure. I played sports throughout my youth and into young adulthood. But, after growing up and having a look at the world around me, the importance of sports not only waned, but became insignificant.

[fichbar]

@TheDreamMechanic you seem to be part of this weird group that worship Chomsky and don't question or think about what he says, but just accept it. Chomsky seems omniscient, but a lot of what he says is absolute nonsense. Soccer is big in England, but I don't see football fans blindly supporting aggressive foreign policies, wars and so on.

[owenhunt]

@fichbar Sport is easier to enjoy than Politics, but is not inherently more enjoyable.

[RainmanCT]

heavy heavy! were these clips actually shown on the big screen or were they edited in? would be great if that clip was actually shown in a shopping mall! noam=genius

[alloneword154]

What's wrong with have an escape from the fucked up world we live in?

[RainmanCT]

@alloneword154 what's wrong is that it diverts people from noticing that government doesn't give a damn about it's citizens and is focused soley on pleasing wall street and getting re-elected. once people start to see what's going they start to speak up and demand change. it's only fucked up so long as citizens allow it to be fucked up.

[Vigrante]

@alloneword154 We should try to fix it, not escape it.

[valeriereified]

I'm just impressed that he was able to use this infrastructure. Today they'd be much too afraid of offending someone to allow that, or, in the other case, the producers would just lazily shop it in.

[mose3]

"Sports are a way of building irrational attitudes of submission to authority and group cohesion behind leadership elements, training in irrational jingoism."

Noam Chomsky

[ImperviousMason]

Is noam saying that in a stateless society there would not be a demand for sports?

[RellenMcDee]

@ImperviousMason

Kind of a strange claim to make. He's merely describing their role in these kinds of systems.

[ImperviousMason]

@RellenMcDee Haha, yes I now know what hes talking about :)

[SUpersaiyajinjerkbag]

haha, its like he just won't admit people who like sports tend to be morons

[asher2]

@sdflksdfkfh you are a true idiot thank you for proving the point ...and of course your stupidity

[fifthera]

fuck sports / fuck religion / fuck "group cohesion" -

why would i want to be a sheep?

Hails to all "Loners" everywhere ;-)

the more idiots Noam Chomsky annoys the more i am beginning to like him.

[MAdk1p]

more communist naziism from an obama worshipper. WAKE UP ATHIESTS, YOUR ALL GOING TO DESTROY OUR CHRISTIAN NATION BEFORE YOU DIE AND BURN IN HELL IF YOU DONT ACCEPT THE LORD JESUS AND YOUR SAVIOR

[shifty1367]

@MAdk1p he does not support obama at all. obama is not a socialist. he is a deep-rooted state capitalist. and just for the record i am a christian and a socialist, because i, unlike you, listen to what jesus said about helping the poor. you can call yourself a christian all you want. you can go to church all you want. but if you dont live by the bible, hate to tell you mate, you aint one.

[MomSaysImCool]

@MAdk1p I love this comment.... ah, I'll never get tired of the Youtube crazies.

[afro208]

maybe some people just like sports.

[jacksawild]

@afro208 That's what makes it effective and it's fine if they also take an interest in other, more important things. Like people starving to death due to our governments policies and the murdering, theft and oppression which is carried out in our names all so we can have cheap fuel and comfortable lives. All the while the people in charge of our systems, the corporations, are only a step away form imprisoning us and forcing their agendas on us to drive up their profits.

[afro208]

@jacksawild I get a good balnce, I read chomsky while hoovering down hot dogs at a baseball game.

[laithsu]

What is this speech from? Can I get the entire speech online?

[rufus001]

@laithsu "Manufacturing Consent" You should be able to find a copy online.

[laithsu]

@rufus001 Thank you.

[CarlGaming]

Coming from the man that wants to ban porn and cars

[AngelofNever]

@CarlGaming I kind of doubt a social libertarian would want to ban cars or porn.

[BloggerMusicMan]

@CarlGaming

When has Chomsky ever said he wants to ban porn and cars? He certainly has a negative opinion of pornography (/watch?v=SNlRoaFTHuE) but I've never hear him say, or read anything he's ever written saying he wants to ban it. As for cars, well I've never heard him touch on the subject. I'm curious though, when has he ever said that?

[blanketz0r]

I think what he identifies as a cause for sports marketing and indoctrination is only a superfluous benefit for any managing body to which he may be referring. There are very real, less sideways explanations for sports and sporting events. The most obvious of those is simply that people enjoy them. We must enjoy life before he indulge in conspiracy theory.

[rhiesa]

@blanketz0r

I belief his argument is centralised around class separation in society. The upper class controls the attitudes, aggression and attention of the lower class. It is enjoyable but there are many things in the world that will provide a lasting benefit while also being enjoyable.

If I may, I would argue that everything in our society can be analysed in the same way. Nothing would exist if it didn't carry worth and that worth is not always the initially observed one.

[ctvwr]

@rhiesa

I think it is overly simplistic to just say that a particular class controls the culture, per se.

The system is best looked at as a set of social relationships and institutions, into which even the influential are themselves subjected and immersed. There is no secret cabal of people controlling the media, but that is unnecessary, because the system works as a result of the fundamental manner in which it is setup.

[Rizombie]

@rhiesa you are also speaking for me there...well said :)

[001bf]

2 comments.

That in itself speaks volumes for what his man is saying.

[GodlessXVIII]

"Submission to authority"

"Irrational jingoism"

Now, where are those traits implicated in, of all things, "magical realism" ?

Quite the rebuttal there, buddy.